BTA Trouble

[noahwz]

so I’m relatively new to the reef keeping hobby have been doing it for less than a year. I recently upgraded my reef aquarium from a 16 gallon biocube which was about 6 months old to a 45 gallon jbj AIO.

I made the mistake on adding everything too soon and the tanks water parameters have not been very stable. When I first introduced things I had let the tank cycle with ammonia and tims nitrifying bacteria, water was testing well then, I made the mistake of not testing and assumed the tank had cycled when it hadn’t, fast forward to now, I’ve been doing 25% water changes every 1-2 days and testing water before and after each change, as my ammonia nitrite and nitrates were out of control which is was led me to the conclusion my tank had not finished its cycle and I jumped the gun.
I’m running bioballs, chemiclean blue, and bio ceramic rings.

I’ve added seachem pristine 2-3 times in the past few weeks to help control nutrients. Right now am not dosing anything else.

A week ago water parameters were:
Salinity: 1.025
Ph: 8.2
Kh: 8.5
Nitrite: 5.0ppm+
Nitrate: 40-60ppm
Ammonia: 2-3ppm
Phos: <0.25
Calcium: 480
Mag: 1525 (not dosing)

25% water changes daily and now water parameters are

Salinity: 1.025
Ph: 8.2
Kh: 8.5
Nitrite: 2-3ppm
Nitrate: 40ppm
Ammonia: 0.25ppm
Phos 0.15
Calcium 480
Mag 1500

All my inverts/fish/corals are doing well EXCEPT the green anemone. I have 7 anemones, 2 rock flower, 3 Rbta, 1 Gbta, 1 Black widow bta. It’s been throwing up zooxanthallae every single day, it will inflate maybe once a day for a few hours then deflate and start throwing up, I assumed that it was water parameters and have been trying to dilute nutrients to compensate for my error as moving everything into the old system is no longer an option. Only other thing I could think of was lighting, I’m running 150W nicrew about 12-16 inches from water surface, the nem is all the way at the bottom of the tank, other nems seems to enjoy the light, not sure if this one doesn’t? Had a frogspawn frag recently bleach and adjusted my lights and took it down lower in the tank to try to fix that.

Lighting is as follows:
6:30 am is 0% white 5% blue
7:00 am is 5% white 15% blue
8:30 am is 5 % white 40% blue
4:30 pm is 0% white 20% blue
6:30 pm is 0% white 10% blue
Lights off are off by 7:30pm and build and dim with a controller.

Not sure what else to do, absolutely know I jumped the gun on transferring but now I’m just trying to meditate and keeps things as happy as can be. And don’t want to mess with my lighting too much as I know it can make things worse in terms of corals and inverts trying to adapt to the lighting.

Please help

 

[noahwz]

I would try a less frequent but larger W/C (30-35%) vs. smaller more frequent ones. Give the tank a chance to stabilize, but also take out a good amount of nasties when its time for w/c.



check out this article and scroll to the section Calcification Inhibition by Phosphate. Lots of good info there.

"Phosphate is known to inhibit the precipitation of calcium carbonate from seawater. The presence of phosphate in the water also decreases calcification in corals, and entire patch reefs.

This inhibition of calcification takes place at concentrations frequently attained in reef aquaria, and may begin at levels below those detectable by hobby test kits. For example, one research group found that long-term enrichment of phosphate (0.19 ppm; maintained for three hours per day) on a natural patch reef on the Great Barrier Reef inhibited overall coral calcification by 43%"

Wow thats huge. Id assume that's why some of my frags don't grow very fast despite high cal like you said.

 

[SudzFD]

Other frags were bleaching at same depth as anemone, i just recently took lighting down from peak of 15% white 60% blue because my euphellia started to look unhappy due to the lighting.

I’d question if it was lighting or perhaps more likely the volatile water chemistry. I run my euphyllias at the top of my tank with a 90w LED with 90% blue 20% white max peak in the day.

 

[SudzFD]

Activated carbon sold at most fish stores. Depending on tank size and filtration you could just buy the bags of it also.

I run carbon 24/7 and have a lot of luck with GBTA’s. If this Nem doesn’t make it and you are SoCal local, I can give you one for free once your parameters and tank stabilizes. I can also ship it to you at your expense if interested.

 

[noahwz]

I think he meant the setting if the light were inadequate. I’d be using much more percentage of white and blue through the day. I’d consider slowly doubling this lighting percentage ratio.

What are your thoughts on the bleaching coral, just this week was having issues with frogspawn bleaching and unsure if its due to water parameters or light, so i assumed both contributed and light was lowered. Reassuring that light can be brought up though, what do you recommend max white be? i understand too much white isnt great which is why I'm heavy on blue.

ended up moving frogspawn into old mature tank, starting to slowly regain color.

 

[Jekyl]

I run carbon 24/7 and have a lot of luck with GBTA’s. If this Nem doesn’t make it and you are SoCal local, I can give you one for free once your parameters and tank stabilizes. I can also ship it to you at your expense if interested.

The issues I have seen aren't just from the greens, it's when they are mixed with rainbows, widows etc.

 

[noahwz]

I run carbon 24/7 and have a lot of luck with GBTA’s. If this Nem doesn’t make it and you are SoCal local, I can give you one for free once your parameters and tank stabilizes. I can also ship it to you at your expense if interested.

I am a socal local, would love that thank you! i will keep you updated.

 

[noahwz]

I’d question if it was lighting or perhaps more likely the volatile water chemistry. I run my euphyllias at the top of my tank with a 90w LED with 90% blue 20% white max peak in the day.

Going to slowly run my lighting up by 5% on days I do my water changes, do biweekly until I meet a 90% blue 20% white so its gradual.

 

[Jekyl]

Going to slowly run my lighting up by 5% on days I do my water changes, do biweekly until I meet a 90% blue 20% white so its gradual.

5% weekly is probably enough. Pay attention to your tank as you go. It will let you know if going g too far.

 

[noahwz]

BTA once moved in new tank already closing mouth, absolutely water I’m feeling.

 

[SudzFD]

Going to slowly run my lighting up by 5% on days I do my water changes, do biweekly until I meet a 90% blue 20% white so it’s gradual.

Yeah, I think that’s good but remember your light is almost twice the wattage if mine (although I do have two) I’ll also mention my euphyllia garden is in between the lights (middle of tank) so they are more indirect.

 

[Jekyl]

BTA once moved in new tank already closing mouth, absolutely water I’m feeling.

While deflated and a little unhappy, it's still out and mouth isn't gaping. I wouldn't be too concerned.

 

[noahwz]

Yeah, I think that’s good but remember your light is almost twice the wattage if mine (although I do have two) I’ll also mention my euphyllia garden is in between the lights (middle of tank) so they are more indirect.

kinda thinking most of my euphyllia will sit at the bottom side of tank like they are, the one i had bleaching was right at the top. still not 100% convinced it was all lighting related as my max has never been above 10% white 60% blue in this tank.

 

[SudzFD]

What are your thoughts on the bleaching coral, just this week was having issues with frogspawn bleaching and unsure if its due to water parameters or light, so i assumed both contributed and light was lowered. Reassuring that light can be brought up though, what do you recommend max white be? i understand too much white isnt great which is why I'm heavy on blue.

ended up moving frogspawn into old mature tank, starting to slowly regain color.

It’s so hard to say it was lighting when water parameters are off. They are very sensitive to water chemistry. I also agree stability is key and I’d only do enough changes in the water to keep toxic levels down. Once your water is stable lower your frequency. I typically do 10% water change every other week.

 

[noahwz]

It’s so hard to say it was lighting when water parameters are off. They are very sensitive to water chemistry. I also agree stability is key and I’d only do enough changes in the water to keep toxic levels down. Once your water is stable lower your frequency. I typically do 10% water change every other week.

that's my thought as well, and that's what I'm planning for the next few weeks.

Happy i at least have my small tank to put the few struggling pieces into while the display settles down. If i could do it all over again would have let this tank cycle for 2 months... it sat for about 3 weeks but i think everything changing never allowed it to fully stabilize and has just been a mess since.

 

[noahwz]

My nems are thriving in nutrients higher than that. My concern there might be some warfare going on between the color variations. Others have posted issues with mixing other colors with greens.

Are you running any carbon? I would try that and keeping things stable rather than more changes to the environment.

What exactly are your nutrients currently? how do you keep nitrate high? while ammonia low?

 

[Jekyl]

What exactly are your nutrients currently? how do you keep nitrate high? while ammonia low?

I have no idea. Haven't tested in months. Tank is around 6 years old now. Once a tank is cycled ammonia is no longer a concern unless you leave a dead fish in there.

 

[noahwz]

I have no idea. Haven't tested in months. Tank is around 6 years old now. Once a tank is cycled ammonia is no longer a concern unless you leave a dead fish in there.

that makes sense.

 

[Spare time]

What is considered too high for phos? i dont have an exact but i know im somewhere between 0.00 and 0.25 roughly and understand phos should be on the lesser on but not completely untraceable?

I am guessing you have an API test. I would toss it. It is the one test of theirs that is practically useless due to its low resolution.

 

[Spare time]

thank you, will try adding carbon, any preferred product? or will simple carbon rinsed in salt water in a pantihose do?

ROX 0.8 or Bituminous carbon are what I like. Avoid lignite or coconut shell carbon.

 

[noahwz]

I am guessing you have an API test. I would toss it. It is the one test of theirs that is practically useless due to its low resolution.

okay im glad you said it LOL because that's exactly my thought i can only see between 0-0.25 and just have to guess where im at. What test would you recommend. Not in a position to by Hanna testers for all tests.